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[VlaudTheImpaler]

My 8 year old son who doesn't have a phone but loves to play Mario kart 8 online, what does he do then when he's playing on the houshold's Switch? I have to either give up my phone so he can play or buy him his own?

Get with the times bro. Didn't you know it's 2017?

Really we should be implanting smart devices into our babies as soon as they are born to be honest. Gotta stay connected bro, unless you are a peasant or something and can't afford it, then I guess you are a worthless luddite anyway so no one cares. I mean you are the minority if you can't afford smart devices and plans for your entire family according to the statistics and they are never wrong or skewed in any way and should always be looked at as what we base our morals, health and future as a society off of... So seeing as this is something as meaningless as our hobby and a luxury item on top of it making it a first world problem then we shouldn't complain. These companies have our first world interests at heart and they know what we want and need more than we do.

 

[Rncewind]

It has only 3gb RAM, how on earth would you expect it to run games at relatively acceptable presentation in year 2017, while still allocating more of that tiny RAM to voice chat app.

Well when we look at the matter that the switch graphic level is in the Ps360 ballpark abd xbox managed this with hardware from 2005 with much less ram

easy, i expect it would be easy



sry there is no good spin to this

 

[InquisitorAles]

Nintendo is completely out of their fucking minds. "Elegant solution", holy shit

 

[T-0800]

As someone who doesn't own a smartphone does this mean I can't even play online?

 

[Niter]

So I was thinking more about this and imagining what it would be like to go through the app.

Because our smartphones are always connected most of the time, we get instant notifications, including the new Nintendo app. New messages and game invites will be every where you go. This would make users more likely to take their switch with them so they can kick whoever's ass that challenged you in a whatever game.

If we compare this experience with Sony PS Vita, the online experience was bit disconnected until you connected to a Wifi or tethering through your phone. Once you are connected, you catch up to your messages sort of like emails.

You might say, Sony already did the app thing and it was optional. Yes, but it was restricted to remote download games and messaging and you can't take ps4 everywhere obviously. I haven't tried it again since it was launched so I don't know how it fares with the vita.

Maybe this could work for Switch.

 

[spekkeh]

I think a smartphone app is a great idea to have all your friends in there and use it to setup games, especially if the app can somehow connect to and launch the game. A smartphone is simply better at this, and I'm sure it also ties into a Miitomo like customization system, which also makes sense to have as an app.

Relegating the voice chat to the app is moronic however. Once you setup the game, you shouldn't have to have a second device next to you all the time, that's really dumb.

Then again I fucking hate voice chat and the less squeeky preteens whine during my game the better. So please throw up even more hurdles Nintendo.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

Your friends always pretend to have forgotten your birthday when they have a surprise party prepared...

actually no, my friends just forget my birthday and that's it

 

[jackal27]

That seals it for me. They're doing this simply. Evans's the thing is portable and they want all the online features accessible through LTE. Still dumb.

 

[finalflame]

So, Nintendo saw the initial reaction, doubled down on what people reacted badly to, and are holding onto the good news because...?

Because you don't let your audience control the message. It's clear they have a plan or reservations on how to fully unveil their online services, and they're not going to deviate from whatever that PR/marketing plan is because a few hundred hardcore over-invested enthusiasts on GAF are upset.

Maybe it'll suck. Maybe it won't. What's clear is that Nintendo has a timeline for displaying it more broadly and that timeline isn't now, for better or worse, and it's totally fair for most people to assume it's for worse until we hear more.

 

[HotHamBoy]

It has only 3gb RAM, how on earth would you expect it to run games at relatively acceptable presentation in year 2017, while still allocating more of that tiny RAM to voice chat app.

Wait, what???

WHY.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

It has only 3gb RAM, how on earth would you expect it to run games at relatively acceptable presentation in year 2017, while still allocating more of that tiny RAM to voice chat app.

As I said earlier, the Xbox 360 managed party chat with a grand total of 32MB dedicated to the entire system OS, of which the party chat only uses a portion. The Switch's predecessor, the Wii U, dedicates an entire 1GB to its OS. Memory is not a notable concern for party chat in 2017, even on the Switch. Even if you assume party chat took up the entire 32MB on Xbox 360, that would be just over 3% of the Wii U OS's entire memory allocation.

 

[Chindogg]

This seems like a good a place to ask as any:

1) Has Nintendo said anything about whether multiple Switches can do multiplayer over ad hoc connections in areas where wifi isn't available?

2) If so, will the paid-for online service be needed for these ad hoc sessions?

1) Yes wireless LAN options are available

2) I don't think there's any real way to gate wireless LAN behind a paywall like that if their online services are all on the smartphone.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Maybe all their new games should also be handled on smartphones? That would be elegant.

 

[Ninja Dom]

This seems like a good a place to ask as any:

1) Has Nintendo said anything about whether multiple Switches can do multiplayer over ad hoc connections in areas where wifi isn't available?

2) If so, will the paid-for online service be needed for these ad hoc sessions?

1) I believe they can. The multiple Switch console use the wifi chip inside but make their own connection between each other without the need for a wifi "service".

2) Probably not as you're not using an online service. Just connected Switch machines together wirelessly to play. Like having 3DS's together with your pals.

 

[Panajev2001a]

The Nintendo extreme hardcore fans defend anything ,eat it up and are the extremely vocal minority.
They have a set audience that will pat them on the back for every mistake.

And as bad as the Wii U is or Switch could every potentially be, you have people like me who would literally buy either system because it has the next Zelda.

This fact is quite vide to as you can see their are going for a hardcore fan squeeze with console and especially accessories pricing.

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

As someone who doesn't own a smartphone does this mean I can't even play online?

No you can play online

Spoiler

if you pay for it

, you just won't be able to talk, meetup, or lobby your friends

 

[Mahonay]

As someone who doesn't own a smartphone does this mean I can't even play online?

You can, but you won't be able to chat. And it sounded like it could be difficult to connect up with friends with out the phone app.

 

[JCH!]

So, Nintendo saw the initial reaction, doubled down on what people reacted badly to, and are holding onto the good news because...?

What good news? I'm not saying that there will be any good news. I'm with you in thinking this is a weird choice and definitely not ideal.

However, Nintendo have hardly released any information about how this new system is going to work beyond some vague PR statements. I think it's wiser to judge it after we have the facts, that's all.

Well voice/party chat not being on the console os for one, which for my friends and I is a huge thing, was confirmed last page.

This doesn't sound like a confirmation to me.

And as for voice chat, it sounds like that functionality will only be in the smart phone app, not something that is actually going to be part of the Switch system itself.

"Right," Young said. "That's what we've been discussing, is that this app will allow you [to use] the voice chat."

Sounds like they are talking about it but it's something that's not finalised.

 

[Greddleok]

if it had voice chat without the app they'd say so. The alternative is that they're stupid.

I don't think that's really the alternative. Seems like they're making poor choices either way. With only app, it's a ridiculous decision, not telling people about the app being optional is equally ridiculous.

Just seems like every generation nintendo gets further and further up their own ass, and further from what people want.

 

[Speely]

To be fair, they don't always get it right.

I can't think of a time recently when Nintendo, as a developer, made a bad game. But YMMV.

 

[mAcOdIn]

No you can play online

Spoiler

if you pay for it

, you just won't be able to talk, meetup, or lobby your friends

If he has a PC he may be able to run BlueStacks or NOx on his PC and get voice chat that way. Jesus, that's idiotic.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

I just asked. She said you probably shouldn't be allowed to post on this forum anymore. Sorry.

No chill Duck. Goddamn lol

 

[Chindogg]

I can't think of a time recently when Nintendo, as a developer, made a bad game. But YMMV.

As an avid Nintendo fan, Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival is a prime example of a bad Nintendo game.

 

[Kaelan]

I just asked. She said you probably shouldn't be allowed to post on this forum anymore. Sorry.

This is perfect.

 

[Teeth]

2) I don't think there's any real way to gate wireless LAN behind a paywall like that if their online services are all on the smartphone.

Unless those ad hoc connections have to be managed through a smartphone. But I can't see Nintendo being that crazy.

 

[Machina]

Nintendo just literally created their own problem then solved it with a really dumb solution, all for the sake of......?

 

[JCH!]

ignore

 

[TheSpoiler]

So I was thinking more about this and imagining what it would be like to go through the app.

Because our smartphones are always connected most of the time, we get instant notifications, including the new Nintendo app. New messages and game invites will be every where you go. This would make users more likely to take their switch with them so they can kick whoever's ass that challenged you in a whatever game.

If we compare this experience with Sony PS Vita, the online experience was bit disconnected until you connected to a Wifi or tethering through your phone. Once you are connected, you catch up to your messages sort of like emails.

You might say, Sony already did the app thing and it was optional. Yes, but it was restricted to remote download games and messaging and you can't take ps4 everywhere obviously. I haven't tried it again since it was launched so I don't know how it fares with the vita.

Maybe this could work for Switch.

People would have to be by a WiFi area. Even then, you can build the messaging through the system. It's still a home console. This could have been an optional thing. No reason for it to be required.

And this doesn't even touch on voice chat being outside the system.

 

[RulkezX]

So I'm sitting somewhere and decide I just need to pay me some MK.

I whip out my Switch , connect it to a hotspot and have to either have the game audio blaring for everyone to hear cause I've got my ear buds in my phone for voice or I have to have my phone on loud speaker so I can hear the game audio....or what ?

Why not just bundle a cheap pair of buds with a mic like ps4 did.

Like that , no need to take bulky headsets or kill my phones battery.

 

[finalflame]

As an avid Nintendo fan, Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival is a prime example of a bad Nintendo game.

Yah I'm gonna have to support this. I hate AC:AF a whole lot and have no idea what the fuck Nintendo was thinking.

 

[Speely]

As an avid Nintendo fan, Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival is a prime example of a bad Nintendo game.

Shit. Yep. Ok I will back off of that one completely.

 

[pooh]

My 8 year old son who doesn't have a phone but loves to play Mario kart 8 online, what does he do then when he's playing on the houshold's Switch? I have to either give up my phone so he can play or buy him his own?

No offense, and I'm not saying the phone app voice chat is a good idea, but I'm very much against the idea of kids being on voice chat in the first place, for both my sake and theirs. Among other things, being able to chat with other adults is a reason I prefer playing on PC over PS4/Xbone, and I'm thinking it's probably not going to be a great experience for them either with the amount of toxicity in a lot of gaming communities.

 

[mAcOdIn]

I don't think that's really the alternative. Seems like they're making poor choices either way. With only app, it's a ridiculous decision, not telling people about the app being optional is equally ridiculous.

Just seems like every generation nintendo gets further and further up their own ass, and further from what people want.

That's what I mean, it's clear voice chat is app only otherwise someone would've chimed in with an "of course you can do it from within a game through the system if you want.". That they still haven't cleared it up is proof. They gain nothing by allowing people to believe there's no built in voice chat if there was.

 

[Xando]

Maybe they should have delayed it for another 6-12 months to atleast get a decent online network together if they wanna charge for it.

Then again people buying it overpriced at launch probably don't care because they'd buy anything with a Nintendo logo on it.

 

[primasaurus]

.

Somewhat unfair, I feel the guy was a little provoked

 

[Chindogg]

Yah I'm gonna have to support this. I hate AC:AF a whole lot and have no idea what the fuck Nintendo was thinking.

"We have these Animal Crossing assets but are abandoning Wii U so let's just make a bullshit Amiibo game as an excuse for people to buy Animal Crossing Amiibos."

Maybe they should have delayed it for another 6-12 months to atleast get a decent online network together if they wanna charge for it.

Then again people buying it overpriced at launch probably don't care because they'd buy anything with a Nintendo logo on it.

They're actually not going to start charging until the fall, so that's exactly what they're doing in delaying it 6 months.

And once again I'm buying it for Zelda and Bomberman. Two exclusives I'll never see on another console or PC. I bought a Xbox One for Scalebound so I think I'll actually come out ahead with the Switch.

Even as a longterm Nintendo fan, I find their decisions embarrassing these days.

So I need to buy my child a mobile phone along with the switch and paid online just to play Splatoon? Ridiculous!

Might as well just keep the WiiU then.

Do Nintendo actually ask developers for their opinions? Surely anybody would have told them this setup is a mess.

I highly doubt the actual matchmaking will be pulled from the games themselves. They're probably just referring to "play dates" or whatever the hell they were talking about.

 

[ChosenPredator]

makes sense if you're taking it out on the go but what if you're at home and you don't want to use your phone for that type of stuff...guess i'll just wait and see for more info to come out.

 

[Amused]

actually no, my friends just forget my birthday and that's it

We have an app for that too. It's called Facebook.

 

[tmespe]

So I'm sitting somewhere and decide I just need to pay me some MK.

I whip out my Switch , connect it to a hotspot and have to either have the game audio blaring for everyone to hear cause I've got my ear buds in my phone for voice or I have to have my phone on loud speaker so I can hear the game audio....or what ?

Why not just bundle a cheap pair of buds with a mic like ps4 did.

Like that , no need to take bulky headsets or kill my phones battery.

It's too bulky. Obviously your 5 inch smartphone is much less bulky and convenient. They're doing you a favor. Trust Reggie.

 

[Speely]

Even as a longterm Nintendo fan, I find their decisions embarrassing these days.

So I need to buy my child a mobile phone along with the switch and paid online just to play Splatoon? Ridiculous!

Might as well just keep the WiiU then.

Do Nintendo actually ask developers for their opinions? Surely anybody would have told them this setup is a mess.

To be fair, your kid would not need to have a smartphone to play Splatoon. Just to set up out-of-game matchmaking and (official) voice chat.

 

[Koh]

All this talk about getting notifications about game invites bring some novel benefit when you aren't on the system.

How is this different than a text message phones do natively?


*You've received an invite to play Mario Kart.*

Vs

"Yo, Mario Kart?"

 

[openrob]

This is a bad idea.

 

[finalflame]

Maybe they should have delayed it for another 6-12 months to atleast get a decent online network together if they wanna charge for it.

Then again people buying it overpriced at launch probably don't care because they'd buy anything with a Nintendo logo on it.

There's still zero actual details on how online will work and people are already saying it should've been delayed for a year and isn't worth the hitherto unannounced price they're charging for it.

"We have these Animal Crossing assets but are abandoning Wii U so let's just make a bullshit Amiibo game as an excuse for people to buy Animal Crossing Amiibos."

Jokes on them, I bought all the AC Amiibos without needing a reason/excuse.

 

[ZombiePlatypus]

nope.

something like 70% of US adults have smartphones. kids less, obviously.

Well recieved here or not, I'm willing to bet alienating kids from this feature was a conscious decision. Nintnedo has always shown to be weary of making online communication accessible to kids. It really sucks, but then we have situations like that child predator who assualted a child via Swapnote :/

Bluetooth headsets, no. Others, yes.

But then again, literally where the fuck are you going with this? You're not making a point anymore. You're just fucking talking. If Nintendo was so very concerned with "eliminating the gaming headset" they could have just given the Switch Bluetooth headset support. So again, your scenario isn't a solution to some "problem". Further, again, you haven't addressed the fact that this creates situations where players have to have two headsets at once if they play with headphones. Or address how requiring the player to juggle two devices and splitting your console's functionality across both pieces of hardware and two different pieces of software across each is sensible. Or what players do if they don't have a (supported) smart device. Nor how having this smart phone app as an option means the functionality can't also be included in the console itself anyway, meaning it works for both the theoretical people who actually would be happy to use this and people who want their basic console features on their actual console. Or any of the litany of other bits of nonsense surrounding this whole thing.

All you're doing is apparently repeating that "hey, you don't need to buy a new headset, and I'm assuming everyone has a Bluetooth headset already and am ignoring the fact that Nintendo could just add Bluetooth headset support to their actual console instead moving everything over to an entirely different device in 2017" which is not a very good point at all.

Good lord.

Why are you forced to have 2 head-sets? Why would you insist on having a separate headphone anyway? Why are you assuming the phone app isnt some non-intrusive app that stays in your pocket as opposed to something you constantly have to baby-sit? What if there's additinal functionality that makes this available on phones instead of the console itself more practical?

We can assume all sorts of possible answers regarding how this is all gonna work but we. Dont. Know.

So why not wait till they straight up tell us what's going on, instead of drumming up the Nintendoomed defcon5 song and dance?

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Nintendo just literally created their own problem then solved it with a really dumb solution, all for the sake of......?

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

 

[civilstrife]

I see this as Nintendo killing two birds with one stone.

1. Prevent voice chat from chewing through battery life.
2. Prevent very young children from being exposed to toxic voice chat.

Nintendo is willing to piss off core gamers if it means checking those boxes.

 

[Ninja Dom]

Let's have a history lesson.

How does the Vita handle online functions? Is it any good? I use to have a Vita 3G version but never had any online games.

Also, did any online Wii U games have voice chat. I've got Black Ops II and that has online voice chat and lobbies but it doesn't seem like a "system level" feature. It seems simply programmed into the game by Treyarch.

 

[BlackRainbowFT]

I don't get why people are complaining... I mean, they could have picked mandatory smartwatches instead.

(btw, if I still had a BlackBerry and had any intention of buying a Switch, I'd be royally pissed...)

 

[Xaero Gravity]

Somewhat unfair, I feel the guy was a little provoked

I guess he was wrong afterall, sometimes it's better to be ignored than different.

 

[KillLaCam]

This doesnt seem like a good plan at all. I know it would work decently in Japan maybe Korea and Singapore but what about everywhere else?